Persistence pays off for Ike and Mike

During my 60 years of taking award winning photographs, the photo that stands head, heels and tails above all others is that of a 100-pound boxer named “Ike.” It was 1958 and the photo was published in the Akron Beacon Journal KINSA (Kodak International Newspaper Snapshot Awards) contest.

A finalist in the competition, the photo was exhibited in the National Geographic Explorer’s Hall in Washington, D.C. This photo exhibited boxer dog persistence on Ike’s part and of his photographer, Mike.

A model subject

The dog belonged to my boss at the time, Lowell Young. Ike was the friendliest and most cooperative subject I have ever photographed. He would jump through a hoop if asked or over a hedge, which is what he did. Not at one photo shoot, but two, I wasn’t satisfied with the first roll of film I shot on that Saturday, so I returned the following week and used fill-in flash. I was ecstatic with these results.

Ike had hedge hopped a dozen times on my first attempt and a dozen times the second time. I was using a 12 exposure roll of Kodak black and white 120 roll film. I had to lie on the lawn behind the hedge to capture these images while facing Ike. Each time he jumped right by me, his 100 pound hulk narrowly missed me, but never touching me.

Ike’s friend

There is another side to this story. Ike died several years after these photo sessions. He had a boxer dog friend next door that visited him regularly. Shortly after Ike’s demise, he came inside Ike’s home to visit him. Propped up on the floor against the dining room wall, was an 11x14 photo of Ike’s award winning hedge-jumping photograph. Ike’s boxer buddy took one look at it turned and leaped through the front storm door screen, hurting the screen, but not himself. He stood on the front lawn facing the dining room, barking and barking.

Ike and my efforts had produced my most memorable photograph.

X Michael J. Lacivita, a Youngstown retiree, is an inductee in the Ohio Senior Citizens Hall of Fame and Ohio Veterans Hall of Fame. He writes occasional stories and still makes photos, 50 years after snapping Ike jumping the hedge.